1. Form the work team, determine the scope of study and clarify the value sought

1.1 Forming the work team

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is an opportunity to mobilize a team around an improvement project. It's a collaborative effort that can't be carried out by an isolated individual. Before starting to use the tool, therefore, it is important to determine which members of the company are to be involved, and to clarify the process under study.

First and foremost, an improvement project leader must be identified. His or her role will be to ensure the availability of VSM participants and to support the process within the company.

The next step is to identify the stakeholders involved in product development, i.e. the people or entities, internal or external to the company, who expect the engineering process to create...